Freestyle Competition at Nationals

As you’ve probably heard, we will once again be including Freestyle Jumping at Nationals this year. In an attempt to grow this segment of our sport, we have requested and received some rules variances for this competition.

To simplify this, I have listed below the rules variances for Nationals. If there is a rule in the book and it is not listed below, that rule will stay as is.

Rule 9.03
6&7. There will be the single customary 49ft +/- 1ft buoy on the right side as well as the left side. There will be an unabtrusive 70ft. distance marker buoy set up as well.

2. Style scores will be awarded from 0 to 10 points in 1/2-point intervals. Style is a combination of Style, Execution, and Amplitude. . An attempted trick which becomes another is scored zero (e.g., a badly skewed Mobius does not qualify as a Helicopter).

3. Competitors shall receive 4 passes at the ramp set at 5 ½ ft. in which they attempt the maneuvers described below. The best two scores will count towards their final score. A repeat of a previous successful maneuver shall NOT score zero and the competitor may use the higher score of a repeated trick.

5. To determine the skier’s final score, eliminate high and low form scores if five or seven judges are used, then sum the judges’ scores and divide by the number of judges’ scores used. Multiply the result by ten and then by the degree of difficulty. Repeat this process for all three jumps. The sum of the two highest scoring jumps will be the skier’s final score. All calculations shall be rounded to two decimal places. If there is a tie in scores, the final placement will be determined by the highest scoring single jump. If this is equal, a tie shall be declared.

7. A new maneuver, along with a suggested DOD and video, must be submitted to the NSSA Freestyle Committee prior to the end of registration to be scored in a tournament.
The Freestyle Committee will:
A. Require a video of the suggested trick.
B. Decide whether to include the maneuver temporarily in the rules.
C. Establish a DOD at the minimum level accepted by the majority of the Committee.
D. Establish any special rule descriptions for the new maneuver
E. Present this for a permanent rules change at the Fall NSSA meeting.

8. On any maneuver involving rotation about a horizontal axis (such as, but not limited to: Flip, Gainer, Mobius) both feet of the skier must be directly over the head at one time during the execution of the maneuver to receive full credit. In the case of the In-Out 720, the skier must complete a full 360-degree turn before initiating the turn in the other direction. An underturn will affect their score. In the case of an Air Raley, the skiers feet must go higher than their head ro receive full credit.

10. Boat speeds, once set, remain constant through rideout. No adjustments in boat speed are allowed to assist recoveries. Speeds may be chosen up to 36 MPH in 1 MPH increments and are considered accurate if held within plus or minus 1 MPH on the speedometer. One official or the boat driver shall act as the boat judge for speed, path, and other matters at the discretion of the Chief Judge. It is the responsibility of the skier to notify the boat driver of the desired speed and boat path spacing for each maneuver.

11. The boat path is on the right side or left side of the ramp and parallel to the jump depending upon the skiers’ preference.

Other items not identified in the rules;

1. Backwards approach to the ramp is acceptable
2. Ski Changes are okay, as well as the use of Wake Skis,(Skates).

Variance in Policies and Procedures.

1. Each region shall select their own competitors for this years tournament.
2. Each region shall have their selections, ranked in order, in to National Tournament Chairman no later than July 19th. (With the exception of the Midwest Region which will turn theirs in no later than July 26th.)
3. Entry forms and fees are to be sent (postmarked) to Tournament Chairman no later than one day after the above dates.
4. The rotation for entries is as follows 1 each from Wisconsin, Central, Midwest and Southern, then the regular rotation of Wisconsin, Central, Midwest, Southern, Eastern, South Central, and Western Region will continue until 14 spots are filled.
5. Seeding will be determined by a random drawing after Registration at Nationals.

If you have any questions, please email me at chriscouplandatcharter.net